Rousseau

That was a superb Villa performance. Pumped Newcastle 3-0.

I know we had an article almost criticising Benfica's youth approach - because they can't keep their good teams together long enough to challenge in Europe - but it's still a good model to copy or learn from. When one of their top players is injured or sold, they draft in youngsters. They may be talented, but they're completely untested and inexperienced. They're thrown into the deep end. They had a 19-year-old CB playing in the quarter-finals of the CL midweek. And they also need to win every week.

King, Lowry, Devine, Lovelace, Rice, McCorie (albeit injured today), McCausland. Tamundo and Ridvan I consider a youngsters, too. I'm not suggesting they all should start, but they don't even get many minutes towards the end of games. It's just a personal gripe of mine.

I don't mean throw on 4, 5, 6 youngsters, but surely one could start?

This was one of my concerns with Beale being appointed manager: not giving youngsters a chance. He says he likes to work with young players, but when has he ever given them a chance? SG, likewise, didn't give them a chance.

FFS, Michael! Seven players missing and it still manages to be the same old, same old.

Happy with this. Nerlinger's record at Bayern was pretty bad.

I believe MB did mention wanting to use a back-three in some games. For this game, I agree, it will be pretty much the same.

I still believe GvB's staff is to blame for the horrific injury record.

On paper: McCrorie Tavernier - Goldson - Davies - King Jack Raskin - Cantwell Tillman Colak - Sakala In possession: McCorie Goldson - Davies - King Raskin - Jack Tillman - Cantwell Tavernier - Colak - Sakala I'd like to see Lowry, Hagi and Matondo get some minutes.

https://gersnet.co.uk/index.php/news/ca-category-blog/236-ross-wilson-director-of-failure-or-the-fall-guy

Rangers 2 - 0 St Mirren FGS Morelos

Rangers vs St Mirren

Ooh! Sky Sports News are running it as breaking news.

The plans will already be in place. Anyone new won't be able to rip it up at the 11th hour.

I suspect the plans are all in place, but clearly someone else will need to take over negotiations, etc.

I'm more than willing to concede that we've not had the success with our DoF that we want, but to think of ripping up the model is ludicrous to me; it'll set our club back years.

Three years old, but still informative:

Football departments are too complex to be left to a manager. Every elite side in world football has one.

I'm strangely excited.

He's not moneyball. Brentford are moneyball.

It would give us wings.